CASE Member Magazine Readership Survey Analysis

CASE Member Magazine Readership Survey Analysis

The First Cross-Institutional Magazine Benchmarking Survey

Editors’ ForumMarch 26, 2010

Project sponsored by Qualtrics

1

Methodology

• Web-based, common survey instrument

• Participating schools register, draw samples, invite and remind

• Schools receive data from their unique survey

• All data fed to national database

• Schools can compare their data to other sets

COUNCIL FOR ADVANCEMENT AND SUPPORT OF EDUCATION 2


Survey Process

Better

Quality!

Start

Here

CASE Member Magazine Readership Survey, sponsored by Qualtrics

Credibility

Margin of Error

• Institution chooses target margin of error, response level

• Example: A magazine with a readership of 50,000 will need 1,068 responses to have 95% confidence =/- 3%

Bias

• Always some inherent bias

• For magazines, somebias toward readers, friends

• Survey type (mail vs. phone vs. email) also has some bias


135 Participating Institutions*

Public/Private Enrollment


CASE Member Magazine Readership Survey, sponsored by Qualtrics *As of Dec. 30, 2009

Institution Type



Frequency of Publication



N=135

Average Cost per Copy*



*Does not include salaries or postage

N=133

37,359 Respondents* in Report



*As of Dec. 30, 2009

N=37,359

General Findings• Alumni magazines are the primary medium

through which alumni acquire information about their alma mater.

• Alumni magazines are well-read across all age groups.

• Magazines spur positive action among alumni across all institution sizes and types.

• Readers of all ages prefer print magazines, and, secondly, a combination of print and online.



Preferred Format by Age*


Q.1. How do you generally acquire information about your alma mater?

Time Spent Reading Magazine


Q. 5. How much total time do you typically spend with an issue of the magazine?


Reading Frequency by Age


Q.2. How often do you typically read the magazine?


Reading Frequency by Age


Q.2. How often do you typically read the magazine?

Amount Read by Age



Key Findings

• Alumni magazines strengthen engagement and motivate desirable actions.

• Engagement and desirable actions track with time spent reading the magazine.

• Editorial content may encourage time spent.

• Time spent also tracks with perceived editorial credibility.



Connection to Institution


Q. 10. My institution's magazine strengthens my personal connection to the institution

Connection to Institution


Q. 11a. Please indicate ways your institution's magazine strengthens your connection….


Connection by Reading Time



Connection by Reading Time


Q. 10. My institution’s magazine strengthens my personal connection to the institution.


Connection by AgeQ. 10. My institution’s magazine strengthens my personal connection to the institution.

Reading Time and Connection



Actions Taken after Reading



Q. 12. What actions have you taken as a result of reading your institution's magazine?

Actions Taken by Reading Time



Readers and their Donations



Doesn’t Strengthen Connection


Q.11b. Please indicate ways your institution's magazine fails to strengthen your connection….


N=37,359


CASE Member Magazine Readership Survey, sponsored by QualtricsN=37,359

Preferred Format of Donors

Format Preferences by Age


Q. 7. In what format do you prefer to read your magazine?

Editorial Content

Magazine Content Areas*

1. Alumni life and activities2. Institutional affairs

3. Campus life4. General interest topics5. Academic / intellectual life

• In ranked order by “Interested” and “Very Interested ”preferences combined



Rankings: Alumni Life

1st Choice: Alumni Life/Activities Int./Very Int. Very Int. Only

Alumni in their professions 1 2

Class notes 2 1

Alumni chapter activities 3 4

Obituaries 4 3

Individual alumni profiles 5 5

Alumni personal lives 6 6

Alumni volunteers 7 7



1=highest, 7=lowest

Rankings: Institutional Affairs2nd Choice: Institutional affairs Int./Very Int. Very Int. Only

History/traditions 1 1

Campus facilities 2 2

Institutional financial status 3 5

Strategic planning 4 3

Message from president 5 4

Admissions policies 6 6

Commencement 7 8

Staff selections/promotions 8 7

Fundraising 9 9

Stories about donors 10 10



Rankings: Campus Life

3rd Choice: Campus Life Int./Very Int. Very Int. Only

Cultural events/performances 1 2

Student achievements 2 4

Visiting speakers 3 5

Athletics 4 1

Student issues/opinions 5 6

Extra curricular activities 6 8

Student community service 7 7

Campus controversies 8 3

Individual student profiles 9 9



Rankings: General Interest4th Choice: General Interest Topics Int./Very Int. Very Int. Only

Issues facing education 1 1 (tie)

Science/tech./engineering 2 1 (tie)

Arts and culture 3 4

Environmental issues 4 3

Issues in local community 5 7

Business and industry 6 8

Global/international 7 5

Health and healthcare 8 6

Letters to editor 9 10

Religion/faith-based topics 10 9



Rankings: Academic Life

5th Choice: Academic/Intellectual Life

Int./Very Int. Very Int. Only

Student research/academics 1 1

Faculty research 2 2

Individual faculty profiles 3 3

Individual courses 4 5

Faculty awards/achievements 5 7

Faculty selection/promotions 6 6

Faculty publications 7 8

Curriculum 8 4



Top Choices Overall*

• History/traditions 72.7%• Campus facilities 71.2%• Alumni in their professions 70.3%• Class notes 66.8%• Cultural events/perform. 66.6%• Issues facing education 63.3%• Student achievements 63.0%• Alumni chapter activities 60.9%• Student research/academics 60.2%



*Int/Very Int.;all totals over 60%

Lowest Choices Overall*

• Faculty publications 36.5%• Stories about donors 35.3%• Curriculum 23.9%



*Int/Very Int.; all totalsunder 40%

Editorial Content Comparison

Non-donors vs. Donors

GEN. TOPICS

Top choice Bottom choice

Non-donors

Science, tech., engineering

Letters to editor

Donors Issues facing education

Issues facing local community

Men vs. Women

CAMPUS LIFE

Top choice

Bottom choice

Men Athletics Student profiles

Women Cultural events/Perform.

Student profiles



Magazine Credibility

Q.13: To what degree do you consider [publication name] to be a credible source of information about the institution? (check one)

� Consistently portrays the institution accurately and objectively

� Contains some "spin" but is generally accurate and objective

� Usually portrays the institution only in a positive light

� Is not a good source of objective information

� No opinion



Magazine Credibility


Q.13. To what degree do you consider your institution's publication to be a credible source of information about the institution?

Credibility by Reading Time



Next Steps

• Ongoing dissemination of data.

• User group listserv moderated by Tina Hay, Penn State (MAGSURVEY-L), recently launched.

• Schools continue to register and run survey.

• Database grows, allowing better comparisons among peer schools.


CASE Survey Landing Page


How to …


… get to the CASE Member Magazine Readership Survey, accompanying materials and this presentation on CASE Web Site (short URL): go to http://tinyurl.com/ygrauh3

… join the listserv of participating editors: email [email protected], leaving the subject line blank and typing “subscribe magsurvey-l”(without the quotation marks) in the body of the email

Questions and Discussion

• Ongoing need for readership research.

• Survey instrument refinements … version 2.0?

• Free model may not continue; CASE and Qualtrics will continue to offer program

• What else do we need to know?

• Needs of profession? Role of CASE?


Thank you!

Jeffrey Lott Senior Editor, Swarthmore College

[email protected]

Rae GoldsmithVice President of Advancement Resources CASE

[email protected]


CASE Member Magazine Readership Survey Analysis

Documents

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